What Giving Up Looks Like
by whenimaunicorn
Summary: Klaus gives up on romance and tries a strategy with Caroline more fitting to his villainous nature: Compulsion.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: we all would love the tale of love and redemption, but what if Klaus ever gave up hope that Caroline would fall for him romantically? He is first and foremost a villain, after all. Takes place hopefully at any point season 3/4 that you'd like. There's always a dance coming up in Mystic Falls ;)**

Caroline was working late at the school, again. As usual no one was as committed as she was to making sure the next dance went off as spectacularly as it could. She didn't mind, really, that she was the only one still there decorating the gym, though, because this way she could use her vampiric speed and strength to set things up with ease. She zipped and climbed around the room, getting everything just right.

Unfortunately, she ran out of tape before she was done with the streamers. She popped out into the hall, looking both ways to be sure she was still unobserved, then sped over to the teacher's lounge to grab some more from the supply cabinet. The darkened room was empty of people, and she quickly found what she was looking for. Suddenly she heard the door to the lounge slam shut behind her. She spun and gasped to see the villainous Niklaus standing right beside her, grinning like the cat that ate the canary. "What do you want, Klaus?" she demanded, trying to hide her fear with her usual angry self-possession. "Don't even think I'm going to help you with whatever horrible scheme you're working on these days." She backed away but he followed, keeping the distance between their bodies close.

"It seems to me that it's you and your friends that are always devising schemes, usually aimed at hurting me," he said, keeping her eyes captured in his. "But not to worry, this has nothing to do with business at all." He reached his hand up to stroke her face, but Caroline backed away again.

"I told you Klaus, I'm not interested. I'm in love with Tyler." There was no reaction on Klaus's face, and he continued to close the distance between them. "And even if I wasn't, I would never go for you," she spat, putting all the contempt she could muster in her voice as she tried to maneuver toward an exit, "you're just… evil!"

"You are going to let me do whatever I desire to you tonight," he said, this time with the strength of a Compel behind his words. Caroline had attempted to inoculate herself with vervain, but she couldn't stand even the low doses the others had put themselves on. She felt the Compulsion settle over her, like a fuzzy blanket between her thoughts and her muscles. She stopped in her tracks, wordless rage filling her eyes. Klaus wrapped one hand around the back of her neck and the other around her waist, and she found she could only stiffen, barely, in protest. "That's more like it, love," Klaus breathed, as Caroline's eyes widened in outraged realization of what was about to happen to her.

"You really **are** evil! I can't believe anyone would stoop this low!" He tipped her head to the side and began kissing her neck. "You can't possibly think this is the way to win my heart! You may have had a** chance** before this, but now-" She cut off as Klaus drew back and looked her in the eyes again at those words. Maybe she got through to him…

"And no more complaining," was all he said, again with the force of his Compulsion worming its way into her mind. She found that she could no longer form the words that might implore him to stop. She could only stand there helplessly in his arms as he looked down at her in satisfaction, then pulled her body crashing into his again. She raised her hands to his chest, intending to push him away, but the Compulsion stopped her from applying more force than a gentle caress to his firm, and surprisingly warm, body. His hands roamed over her curves as his breath tickled her ear. Her face burned in shame as she felt her body react to the pleasurable sensations. The truth was she had always been attracted to Klaus, since almost their first meeting. Her rational mind was horrified by his actions, but her animal, and probably her vampiric selves were irresistibly drawn to him, and her heart seemed to stubbornly hold on to hope for his redemption. Of course this very moment was dissuading her of that hope, but her lust for him was becoming overwhelming now that she had had the choice of resisting taken away from her.

His burning mouth kissed up her neck and then he drew back again, looking her intently in the face as if searching for something. Even now, as he had taken so much of her will away, did he still care about determining her true desires? Caroline struggled to keep the heat she was feeling out of her eyes. If that was the only resistance she had left, she would take it. She had no idea, however, if she had succeeded. His ever-expressive eyes showed to her desperate hope poorly disguised by a veneer of arrogance, a look she had become quite familiar with. The edge of vulnerability softened her heart again, as it always did.

But she did not speak, and neither did he. He was done trying to implore and convince her, and he had simply disallowed the resistant part of her. So there was nothing to be said. He gave up trying to read her soul and leaned in to finally claim her lips. He was gentler than she expected, cupping the back of her head in his hands as his lips worked slowly and sensuously over hers. As the heat built she let her mouth open to his tongue, and her thoughts were swept away by the delicious sensation of his tasting of her. It was all her conscience could do to keep her from participating full force, but Caroline relaxed into the bonds of the Compulsion like a soft bed, as if the wall Klaus had her backed into was more than metaphorical. He was delivering all the skill she imagined he might have gained over the centuries, in the way that he worked her lips, and she let herself enjoy the fulfillment of some of her forbidden fantasies. He was nothing like the clumsy, urgent boys she had known in her youth, yet matched the passion of Tyler…

Tyler. A stab of guilt passed through Caroline's body, and though she could not resist, she did cease the small, unconscious moans that had been rising in the back of her throat, and stopped following the dance Klaus's tongue was leading. The villain noticed, and broke off his kiss. He stared at her silently again, the glee of victory at her slight acquiescence this time tingeing his concern at her pause. He caressed the side of her face, then took her hands, still frozen upon his chest. "Come," was all he said, and led her to the couch opposite the door in the darkened lounge. He sat in the center and pulled her onto him, the Compulsion drawing her to spread her legs and straddle him as soon as she thought that was what he wanted. At least, she told herself it was the Compulsion.

The vulnerability was gone from his face now, which was suffused only with smug satisfaction and dark desire. He was gorgeous like this, a drowning pool of power and control. He ran his fingers lightly up Caroline's bare legs, making her intensely conscious of how high her skirt was pulled up in this position, and what little fabric lay between his body and her-

"Tell me true now," he interrupted, with the third Compulsion of the evening. "You want me to keep going."

There were different answers coming from competing parts of her mind, but she found she could honestly say, "No."

Klaus's brows furrowed in a tiny frown, but he recovered his will and pushed on. His hands wrapped over her thighs and around to cup her ass, which he massaged in a way that shot jolts of pleasure through her body. "But you like what I'm doing to you," he asked, staring a challenge into her with eyes full of dark knowledge.

Caroline tried to hold back, but "Yes," came out in a sort of breathy moan she instantly regretted. Klaus smiled, and she caught a glimpse of how deeply he relished this new feeling of control over her.

"So you can't say that you wish me to continue, but you are greatly enjoying what I do to you," Klaus summed, running his hands over her hips, up her sides, encircling her tiny waist. "The mystery that is Caroline continues." He pulled her head down to meet his lips again. This time the gentle contact quickly melted into a ravenous devouring. His hands clutched her to him, then began to move slowly, deeply, over her body, served up as it was for his inspection in this tawdry position he had put her in. He explored as if he intended to memorize her every curve, and from the tone of his caresses and the noises he was making she could tell how pleased he was with every part of her.

He broke off the kiss, stilled his hands in their position atop her thighs, and looked at her searchingly again. "Logically, the third question in the series is, do you want me to stop?" he let his thumbs play under the edge of her skirt as he waited for her answer.

Caroline groaned in torment, closing her eyes to block out the alluring vision of his gorgeous face and the dark promises behind his eyes. But that only made the feeling of his hands on her skin all the stronger, as he edged her skirt a fraction higher with every thumb stroke. The things those hands might do in a moment… "No," she breathed in defeat.

"No, what?" he teased, and when she opened her eyes saw a playful grin that made Klaus look almost normal, and not like the monster that had been tormenting her for what felt like forever.

"No, I don't want you to stop," she said clearly, trying to keep her eyes levelly on his, trying to be brave in this moment of Compelled honesty, but unable to fully hide the apprehension of what this admission would mean for her, for Klaus, for Tyler, for her whole world.

Klaus thrust her skirt up to her hipbones, but kept his eyes locked on hers. His lips curled around an evil smile, but before he could utter his next words, they were both distracted by the noise of footsteps down the hallway. Their heads swiveled in the direction of the intruder. "Caroline?" Bonnie's voice called. She was still a few moments away from the door.

Caroline turned back to Klaus, panicked pleading clear in her eyes being all she could do to persuade him after being Compelled not to stop him and not to "complain." He smiled teasingly and leaned close to her face, then became serious again. "Tell no one I was here," came the final Compulsion. "Don't try to take any vervain. I am coming for you again." And with the awe-striking speed of an Original, he placed her on the couch beside him and was gone, the suddenly open window the only clue to where he had went.

After a tension-relieving breath of her own, Caroline used her own baby vampire speed to close the window and smooth her rumpled clothes. She was standing by the supply closet, the tape she had entered the room searching for in hand, when Bonnie popped her head in the door. "There you are! Aren't you finished setting up yet?"

"I… yeah." Caroline said breathily, looking down at the tape roller in her hand. She tossed it to the side. "We can make the freshmen finish it up tomorrow."


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Thank you so much to my reviewers and followers, I don't think I would have continued the story without your encouragement. **

Bonnie walked her friend home almost in silence. Caroline was far too wrapped up in processing what had just happened to try and make small talk. The adrenaline of her encounter with Klaus was still coursing through her veins, but she was trying desperately to calm down. She needed so badly to talk this through with one of her best friends, but the words dissolved every time she tried to tell Bonnie about what she had just gone through. She was left with her own swirling thoughts and emotions, dancing through her awareness far too quickly to make sense. Klaus's eyes, the feel of his hands… lust. Anger, no, rage, at her helplessness, violation. Guilt, Tyler's safe, comforting love. The look of adoration Klaus gave her body displayed above him, the vulnerable hope she saw when he sensed her enjoyment. What might have happened if Bonnie hadn't walked in. She had admitted, to Klaus and herself, that she didn't want him to leave her alone.

This was far, far different from the times Damon had Compelled her, back when she was human. He had made her into a puppet, left her with nothing but to watch herself do his bidding. There was a strange veneer of artificial feelings and contradictory reactions he had placed within her, so she would be whoever he wanted her to be.

Klaus had done something different, more minimal, more precise. He had left her with a clear sense of herself, Compelling her behavior only. It was both more and less awful. More because he hadn't shielded her from fully comprehending what was happening, keeping her in full awareness of her lack of choice. Less because she still had control of her mind, even though he had ferreted out more honesty from her than she had been admitting to herself. And less awful because he had seemed to _care_ what she was feeling and thinking, even if he didn't let it stop him. He had looked her in the eyes and seen the anger, the hurt, and the shameful desire. He had asked her, even Compelled her to be honest. Even now, he couldn't be 100% monster, Caroline thought.

Still, she shivered in fear as she and Bonnie approached her house. Klaus had already been invited in, was he waiting for her there? Had he Compelled her mom to leave? He said he was coming back. Whatever she thought of it, he would try to do it again.

Caroline turned to Bonnie, plastering a cheerfulness she did not feel across her face. "Hey, Bonnie, when was the last time we had a sleepover?"

Bonnie looked at her intently, a strange glint in her eye. "I was just thinking the same thing. It'll be just like old times." She linked arms with her friend and they turned away from Caroline's street.

When they walked into Bonnie's house, she shut the door quickly and spun, grabbing Caroline's shoulders. "My house is warded against eavesdropping. Even if he followed us here, he won't be able to hear anything." She pulled her friend out of the view of any windows.

Caroline's heart leaped, but found herself playing dumb. "Who?"

"Klaus, of course! I sensed him at the school, and when you didn't say anything I figured you must have known he was watching us. But we're safe to talk here, what happened?!"

"You… sensed Klaus?"

"With my powers growing, I've been able to sense vampires even when I can't see them. I can't tell most of them apart, but Originals definitely have their own distinct… it's kind of like a sound? Or a smell… anyway what was he doing there?"

Frustration rose in Caroline's chest. Even though it was obvious Bonnie knew Klaus had been in the room with her, Caroline found that because of his last Compulsion she could not answer the question. She could not even agree that he had been there. The urge to lie, to say Bonnie was mistaken rose in her throat, but Caroline resisted. "I was getting more tape," she said weakly. It was the best she could do.

"Yeah, I know, but wasn't Klaus in the room with you?!" Bonnie's brow creased as she glared at her friend's evasion.

Caroline opened her mouth, then closed it again. She pleaded at Bonnie with her eyes. Figure it out! She clenched her jaw, swallowing down the easier words: no, Bonnie, I don't know what you're talking about. A part of her was sorely tempted to keep the secret, to let Klaus touch her again and she could tell her guilty conscience she had no choice. But she did have a choice, and she was taking it. Maybe she could say something off topic, and Bonnie could connect the dots? "Well it's just like that time… You know like if… Remember when… Ugh!" She groaned in frustration and spun away from Bonnie. Each sentence broke off in her mouth when it got anywhere near communicating some information. The Compulsion to "tell no one" was surprisingly broad; it seemed to cover anything Caroline was knowingly intending to use to communicate the truth, however tangential or implied.

"Caroline, are you feeling ok? You're acting really weird."

The tall blonde spun back to her friend. "No! No I am not ok!" she yelled, full of anger and sadness and fear and _relief_ to finally have a question she could answer. Tears burst out of her eyes, and Bonnie pulled her friend into her arms.

"What did he do?" Bonnie said angrily, into the top of Caroline's head. All her friend could do was cry.

Elena and the Salvatore brothers were called, but they couldn't get any further with Caroline. Even guessing what Klaus may have done, Caroline could not seem to confirm or deny any of their ideas. She just stared forlornly, even though she could talk normally about other topics, and was obviously upset. "She's obviously been Compelled," Stefan said lowly in the other room. "But she's not going to be able to tell us why."

"Just wait 'till I get my hands on Klaus," Damon growled.

Bonnie was trying to get Caroline to take a dose of vervain, but even when she force-fed her the poor vampire vomited immediately. She looked at her bedraggled friend with eyes full of sympathy. "Caroline shouldn't be alone until we get this figured out. She can stay here tonight, my house is the most magically protected. I'll start researching ways to break Compulsion again."


End file.
